Some multifunctional information processing terminals, such as personal computers, have a multi-user function that allows multiple users to share and use one information processing terminal. For example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2006-113953 and Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 1992-48373 discuss multifunctional information processing terminals. Such an information processing terminal is set an account for each user and stored wide variety of setting information for the respective accounts. Then, when a login process is performed on the basis of both an account (user ID) and a password corresponding to the account, the information processing terminal provides an environment (operating environment) corresponding to each user on the basis of the setting information of the login user. In addition, when the login user performs a logout process, the information processing terminal ends the provided environment for the login user.
In this way, by switching the environment provided on the basis of the setting information of each user, it is possible to, for example, switch a dictionary and learning history used in a conversion process such as Kana-Kanji conversion (conversion of Kana characters in Japanese into Kanji characters in Japanese: Kanji characters are equal to Chinese characters), a history and favorites of web pages frequently accessed through the Internet, or the like, user by user. Thus, the users are able to easily enter desired characters and easily access desired web pages, so user convenience may be improved.
However, when user environments, which depend on a login process and a logout process as described above, are switched, each user needs to enter an account and a password each time when a login process is performed. In addition, the information processing terminal needs to execute a logout process and a login process each time when the environment is switched. Thus, there is a problem that it is difficult to reduce latency until the user is allowed to use the information processing terminal under the user environment.
In addition, when the information processing terminal is used at home, it can be shared with family members. Thus, the environment is not switched for each user through the login process and the logout process, but all family members use the same environment. In such a usage pattern, the respective users use various settings during usage of the information processing terminal, the information processing terminal obtains learning effects when the respective users use the information processing terminal. As a result, the various settings and the learning effects are mixed among the users who use the same information processing terminal. Thus, a problem exists in difficulty to customize settings for each user and, therefore, it is difficult to improve user convenience.
Further, game machines can include a network connection function, such as Internet connection function. There are increased opportunities to access the Internet using neither the information processing terminals nor the game machines. Such a game machine can be simpler than the information processing terminal. A problem can exist when the game machine does not allow each user to switch the environments, and it is difficult to switch the environment for each user or customize settings.